Today’s edition of quick hits.
* It’s done: “Senate Republicans teamed up with a small band of Democrats on Friday to advance a stopgap funding bill, clearing the path for a final vote to avert a government shutdown. The bill cleared a key procedural hurdle on a 62-38 vote, with 10 Democrats joining all but one Republican in voting in favor. Sixty votes were needed to overcome a filibuster.”
* Does Rubio know the White House has already said there is a trade war? “Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied the U.S. was in a trade war Friday as he wrapped up his trip to a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies. ‘There’s not a trade war,’ Rubio said.”
* Two closely watched cases: “Two judges ordered federal agencies on Thursday to reinstate tens of thousands of workers with probationary status who had been fired across 19 agencies as part of President Trump’s government-gutting initiative.”
* Two days in a job is an exceedingly short tenure: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) chief counsel resigned two days after her appointment, according to a Thursday announcement from the agency. ‘Hilary K. Perkins has resigned from her position as Chief Counsel of FDA, effectively immediately,’ the FDA wrote in a post on the social platform X.”
* Grijalva’s passing: “Longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., a leading progressive voice on the environment and climate change, died Thursday from ‘complications of his cancer treatment,’ his office announced in a statement. He was 77.” * A provocative decision from a NATO member: “Portugal is getting cold feet about replacing its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets with more modern F-35s because of Donald Trump — in one of the first examples of the U.S. president undermining a potential lucrative arms deal.” * Noted without comment: “It was supposed to be a moment of celebration: Vice President JD Vance was attending a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Thursday evening for the first time since President Trump’s stunning takeover of the institution. Instead, as Mr. Vance took his seat in the box tier with the second lady, Usha Vance, loud boos broke out in the auditorium, lasting roughly 30 seconds, according to audience members and a video posted on social media.” Have a safe weekend.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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